China’s Global Rise to be Discussed at Occidental College Saturday

China’s insatiable appetite for energy against the backdrop of its rise as the next global superpower is a subject that has long concerned policymakers. It’s fair to say that many of them probably get a headache just thinking about how the planet’s scarce energy sources can possibly meet the growing demands of the world’s most populous nation.

Whether or not you share much of the world’s concerns about China’s rapid growth, you should know that a serious discussion about the American and Canadian approaches to the subject is scheduled on Saturday right here in Eagle Rock.

On April 28, and the Consulate General of Canada will sponsor a symposium on the implications of China's rise from the point of view of politics, global energy and diplomacy. Titled “The U.S. and Canada Face the China Challenge: Economics and Energy,” the event will feature leading journalists as well as energy and trade experts. Admission is free and open to the public.

The symposium’s keynote speaker will be James Fallows, a national correspondent for The Atlantic magazine and author of the forthcoming book, China Airborne. (Click here to view our video coverage of Fallows' talk at Oxy about China in April 2011.) Other panelists and presenters include Scott Farris, director of governmental relations for energy giant TransCanada; Mary Nichols, chairperson of the California Air Resources Board; David Fransen, consul general of Canada; and Gordon Houlden, director of the University of Alberta's China Institute. See the attached PDF for biographies of the presenters.

The symposium will be held in Room 200 of Johnson Hall. The first panel, "The China Challenge: Canada and U.S. Response," is scheduled at 9 a.m. The second panel, "The Politics of Global Energy: U.S.-Canada-China Triangle," starts at 11 a.m. See the attached PDF for the complete program. The event will end at 12:30 p.m.